SON Expands Product Certification Drive with New Labs and Temporary Standards Scheme
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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has unveiled a major reform in its product certification process, decentralising its laboratory network and introducing a temporary Product Identification Scheme (PIS) to accommodate emerging industries.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos on Tuesday, SON’s Director-General, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, announced that the agency had established seven regional laboratories across the country—in Bauchi, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Awka, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos—to accelerate product testing and certification for Nigerian manufacturers.
“This initiative will significantly cut down processing times, allowing manufacturers to bring products to market faster while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards,” Okeke stated.
Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Regulation
To address gaps in product standardisation, SON has introduced the Product Identification Scheme (PIS), a temporary framework allowing new and innovative products to be sold under provisional guidelines while formal standards are developed.
“We cannot shut our doors to innovation,” Okeke said. “Industrialisation must be encouraged while we gather data to establish the necessary standards.”
Under the scheme, products will be monitored for three years, after which they will either transition into the formal certification process or be phased out if they fail to meet established benchmarks.
“This initiative acts as a bridge between market innovation and regulatory compliance, ensuring businesses can operate without compromising consumer safety,” he added.
Trade Barriers and Nigeria’s Position in AfCFTA
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, stressed the urgent need for stronger quality control measures to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
“For us to compete in a single African market, we must eliminate technical trade barriers. Otherwise, we risk creating a 1.5 billion-person market that benefits Asia, America, and Europe more than African manufacturers,” Ajayi-Kadir warned.
He urged regulators to harmonise standards across Africa, ensuring Nigerian products are not locked out due to inconsistent certification processes.
“We must not allow standards to become barriers to market penetration under AfCFTA,” he added, calling for a moratorium on new regulations to prevent unnecessary disruptions for businesses.
Standardisation as a National Imperative
Dr Jide Johnson, Director of Special Programmes at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, underscored the importance of branding and certification in boosting consumer confidence and global recognition for Nigerian goods.
“For an organisation like SON, integrity, innovation, teamwork, and consumer focus are the pillars of excellence,” he stated. “Standardisation is not just a regulatory function—it is a national assignment to ensure Nigerian products earn global credibility.”
He warned that failure to adapt to modern quality standards would leave Nigerian industries vulnerable in an increasingly competitive global economy.
“Any institution that refuses to innovate will go extinct—just like the dinosaurs,” he remarked.
As Nigeria seeks to expand its manufacturing base, SON’s latest reforms signal a shift towards faster, more adaptive regulations, positioning local businesses for success in a rapidly evolving trade landscape.
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